In recent years, Yb:YAG has been regarded as a way of developing high power and high efficient diode pumped solid state laser(DPSSL). We briefly present the very promising properties of Yb:YAG as laser active material, most of them clearly superior to Nd:YAG in diode pumped applications. The thin disk laser concept was summarized. The experimental data and the diode pumped Yb:YAG thin disk laser setting which achieved 16 W CW ouput laser were demonstrated.