Provided is a method for producing a silicon wafer whose surfaces exhibit
precise flatness and minute surface roughness, and which allows one to
visually discriminate between the front and rear surfaces, the method
comprising a slicing step of slicing a single-crystal ingot into thin
disc-like wafers, a chamfering step of chamfering the wafer, a lapping
step for flattening the chamfered wafer, a mild lapping step for abrading
away part of processing distortions on the rear surface of the wafer left
after chamfering and lapping, a rear-surface mild polishing step for
abrading away part of roughness on the rear surface of the wafer, an
etching step for alkali-etching the remains of processing distortions on
the front and rear surfaces of the wafer, a front-surface
mirror-polishing step for mirror-polishing the front surface of the
etched wafer, and a cleaning step for cleaning the mirror-polished wafer.