This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a thin film stack with surface-conditioning buffer layers. In one aspect, the thin film stack includes a plurality of thin film layers each having a thickness greater than about 10 nm and a plurality of surface-conditioning buffer layers each having a thickness between about 1 nm and about 10 nm. The surface-conditioning buffer layers are alternatingly disposed between the thin film layers. Each of the surface-conditioning buffer layers are formed with the same or substantially the same thickness and composition. In some implementations, the surface-conditioning buffer layers are formed by atomic layer deposition.