Despite the term ultrafast being used to describe laser micromachining processes by ultra-short pulse durations, it is commonly accepted that these processes are frequently time consuming. In this work, we have processed a heat sensitive piezoelectric ceramic material, lead zirconate titanate (PZT). PZT is an ideal material for constructing high-frequency (high-resolution) ultrasound probes which require patterned features at micron level accuracy. These can be used to develop and enhance novel endoscopy-driven surgical procedures by providing real-time ultrasound imaging.

PZT is challenging to mechanically process at fine spatial scales and will lose its piezoelectric properties when heated up to temperatures as low as 200 $^\circ$C. We have selected a UV picosecond tool to develop single beam methods aimed at structuring PZT arrays while reducing thermal impact to the material. In addition, we have exceeded quite demanding absolute positional tolerances of ± 1 µm. Next, we have developed novel multibeam laser parallel processing strategies to demonstrate up-scaled speeds of up to 7x our single beam benchmark. This has been accomplished by taking advantage of custom-made diffractive optic splitters (DOEs). Further, implementing a combination of rotating and retractable stages incorporating 1” DOEs allowed overcoming many of the engineering challenges we faced when attempting to accommodate different designs of the PZT arrays (see figure 1 below). A demonstrator has been built and used to show high resolution images of human tissue, including capillary sized blood vessels.