A semiconductor wafer is formed of a substrate wafer of single crystal silicon doped with dopant atoms of the n type or p type, with a front surface and a back surface, contains a layer deposited epitaxially on the front surface of the substrate wafer. The substrate wafer additionally includes an n<++ >or p<++ >doped layer, which extends from the front surface of the substrate wafer into the substrate wafer and has a defined thickness. The semiconductor wafer is produced by a process in which dopant atoms of the n type or p type are introduced into the substrate wafer through the front surface of the substrate wafer, the dopant concentration in a layer which extends from the front surface of the substrate wafer into the substrate wafer being increased from the level n<+ >or p<+ >to the level n<++ >or p<++>, and an epitaxial layer is then deposited on this layer.