Radial and azimuthal polarizations have attracted new interest in the process development community due to improved beam propagation and absorption conditions in the ablation cavity. This paper presents our recent activities and results on polarization converted ultrashort laser pulses by use of segmented half-wave-plates for the generation of ripple structures with predetermined sub-patterns. The formation of ripples fabricated in metals, ceramics, and semiconductors is analyzed by the morphological investigation of the structures (spacing and orientation) as a function of the polarization state of the laser beam.