In　this　study,　a　femtosecond　(fs)　laser　is　proposed　to　pattern　and　anneal　a　metal　oxide　active　layer　for　the　facile　fabrication　of　metal　oxide　thin-film　transistor　(TFT)　arrays.　Compared　with　conventional　photolithography　and　lift-off　techniques,　fs-laser　ablation　significantly　simplified　the　patterning　process　due　to　its　advantages　such　as　no　contact,　high　yield　and　high　resolution.　Uniform　patterned　arrays　with　sharp　edges　and　small　feature　size　(down　to　32　μm)　were　achieved　using　fs-laser　ablation.　Moreover,　fs-laser　annealing　was　also　applied　for　rapid　conversion　of　the　precursor　to　metal　oxide　lattices.　The　results　showed　that　an　increase　in　laser　intensity　lead　to　an　improvement　in　charge　carrier　mobility　and　an　improvement　in　the　on-off　current　ratio　of　indium　zinc　oxide　(IZO)　thin　film　transistors　(TFTs)　along　with　a　negative　shift　of　the　threshold　voltage.　X-ray　photoelectron　spectroscopy　(XPS)　analysis　indicates　that　an　increase　in　laser　intensity　enhanced　the　breakdown　of　weak　or　metastable　chemical　bonds　within　IZO　films,　leading　to　the　removal　of　hydroxide-related　(OH)　species　and　enhancement　of　metal　oxide　composition　and　oxygen　vacancies　(Ov);　it　facilitated　carrier　transport　and　led　to　an　average　mobility　up　to　9.0　cm2　V-1　s-1.　Furthermore,　compared　with　thermal　annealing　(TA),　fs-laser　annealing　could　reduce　the　thermal　budget　and　more　effectively　realize　the　dehydroxylation　behavior　for　OH-related　species,　resulting　in　higher　charge　mobility.　These　results　clearly　demonstrated　that　fs-laser　ablation　and　annealing　could　provide　a　promising　tool　to　significantly　simplify　the　fabrication　of　metal　oxide　TFT　arrays　due　to　their　advantages　such　as　high　resolution,　high　yield　and　low　cost.　Hence,　these　techniques　show　great　potential　to　be　applicable　in　the　fabrication　of　large-area　metal　oxide　TFT　arrays　for　use　in　display　devices　and　circuits.　©　2017　The　Royal　Society　of　Chemistry.