Ripple formation of femtosecond laser in stainless steel is investigated using 184 fs pulses with a center wavelength of 785 nm. The effect of the laser polarization relative to the translation direction is observed. For drilling with a certain aspect ratio, reflections at the hole walls take place, leading to a non-uniform intensity distribution deep inside the formed hole. Finally, it is shown that a circular polarization during the drilling process significantly improves the quality of the produced holes.