A method for transferring a layer from a single-crystal substrate, called a donor substrate, onto a receiver substrate, includes supplying the single-crystal donor substrate, the substrate having a notch oriented in a first direction of the crystal and a weakness region bounding the layer to be transferred, bonding of the single-crystal donor substrate onto the receiver substrate, the main surface of the donor substrate opposite to the weakness region with respect to the layer to be transferred being at the bonding interface, and detachment of the donor substrate along the weakness region. In the method, the donor substrate has, on the main surface bonded to the receiver substrate, an array of atomic steps extending essentially in a second direction of the crystal different from the first direction.