A semiconductor wafer (12) is ground or polished to a desired thickness by pressing the wafer against a rotating turntable (13), characterised in that the semiconductor wafer is bonded to a plate (11), and a thickness-regulating member (15) whose surface is more resistant to polishing/grinding than the semiconductor wafer is arranged on the plate. By way of example, the thickness-regulating member comprises a silicon matrix and has a silicon oxide film at the surface.
