Methods for recycling substrates and fabricating laminated wafers

The invention relates to a method for recycling a substrate with a step-like residue in a first region of its surface, in particular along the edge of the substrate, which protrudes with respect to the surface of a remaining second region of the substrate, and wherein the first region comprises a modified zone, in particular an ion implanted zone, essentially in a plane corresponding to the plane of the surface of the remaining second region of the substrate and/or chamfered towards the edge of the substrate. To prevent the negative impact of contaminants in subsequent laminated wafer fabricating processes, the recycling method comprises a material removal step which is carried out such that the surface of the substrate in the first region is lying lower than the level of the modified zone before the material removal. The invention also relates to a laminated wafer fabricating method using the recycled substrate and to a recycled substrate in which the surface of a first region lies lower than the surface of the second region.