A measurement-facilitating method of measuring the breakdown voltage of a semiconductor epitaxial wafer, and a semiconductor epitaxial wafer whose breakdown voltage is superior are realized. In a method of measuring the breakdown voltage of a semiconductor epitaxial wafer having to do with the present invention, the breakdown voltage between contacts 14 and 18 is measured only through the Schottky contacts, without need for ohmic contacts. Inasmuch as the manufacturing process of forming ohmic contacts is accordingly omitted, the semiconductor epitaxial wafer 10 may be readily used in a breakdown-voltage measurement test. The measurement of the wafer-10 breakdown voltage thus may be readily carried out. Likewise, because the inter-contact breakdown voltage V2 of a wafer 10 can be measured prior to manufacturing a working device from it, unsuitable wafers 10 can be excluded before they are cycled through the working-device fabrication process. Reduction in losses can accordingly be counted upon, in contrast to conventional measuring methods, by which inter-contact breakdown voltage V2 is measured following fabrication of the working devices.