A method for manufacturing a silicon on insulator, SOI, wafer having an SOI layer including a thinning step to adjust an SOI film thickness of the SOI wafer, comprising the steps of: Step B0 - heat treatment under an oxidizing gas atmosphere to form a thermal oxide film on a surface of the SOI layer; Step B1 - measuring the SOI film thickness of the SOI wafer having the thermal oxide film formed in the step B0 with the thermal oxide film remaining; Step B2 - determining a rotational position of the SOI wafer in the thinning step on the basis of a radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained in the measuring of the film thickness of the step B1 and a previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3, and rotating the SOI wafer around the central axis thereof so as to bring the SOI wafer to the determined rotational position; and Step B3 - thinning the SOI layer by batch processing cleaning which includes removing the thermal oxide film on the surface of the SOI layer and etching of the SOI layer of the SOI wafer rotated in the step B2, with the etching amount of the SOI layer being controlled on the basis of the SOI film thickness obtained in the step B1, characterised in that the etching in the batch processing cleaning is performed by immersing the SOI wafer in a SC1 solution, being an aqueous solution of NH 4 OH and H 2 O 2, inside a water tank, and wherein the rotational position is determined to a position where an area showing the maximum value of the radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained in the measuring step B1 of the film thickness corresponds to an area showing the maximum value of the previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3, or wherein the rotational position is determined to a position where an area showing the minimum value of the radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained in the measuring step B1 of the film thickness corresponds to an area showing the minimum value of the previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3, or wherein the rotational position is determined to a position where a difference between a calculated radial maximum value and a calculated radial minimum value of the SOI film thickness after the thinning step B3 is minimum in calculation of the respective radial SOI film thickness distributions after the thinning step when altering the rotational position by a prescribed angle on the basis of the radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained by the measuring step B1 of the film thickness and the previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3. Step B0 - heat treatment under an oxidizing gas atmosphere to form a thermal oxide film on a surface of the SOI layer; Step B1 - measuring the SOI film thickness of the SOI wafer having the thermal oxide film formed in the step B0 with the thermal oxide film remaining; Step B2 - determining a rotational position of the SOI wafer in the thinning step on the basis of a radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained in the measuring of the film thickness of the step B1 and a previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3, and rotating the SOI wafer around the central axis thereof so as to bring the SOI wafer to the determined rotational position; and Step B3 - thinning the SOI layer by batch processing cleaning which includes removing the thermal oxide film on the surface of the SOI layer and etching of the SOI layer of the SOI wafer rotated in the step B2, with the etching amount of the SOI layer being controlled on the basis of the SOI film thickness obtained in the step B1, characterised in that the etching in the batch processing cleaning is performed by immersing the SOI wafer in a SC1 solution, being an aqueous solution of NH 4 OH and H 2 O 2, inside a water tank, and wherein the rotational position is determined to a position where an area showing the maximum value of the radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained in the measuring step B1 of the film thickness corresponds to an area showing the maximum value of the previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3, or wherein the rotational position is determined to a position where an area showing the minimum value of the radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained in the measuring step B1 of the film thickness corresponds to an area showing the minimum value of the previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3, or wherein the rotational position is determined to a position where a difference between a calculated radial maximum value and a calculated radial minimum value of the SOI film thickness after the thinning step B3 is minimum in calculation of the respective radial SOI film thickness distributions after the thinning step when altering the rotational position by a prescribed angle on the basis of the radial SOI film thickness distribution obtained by the measuring step B1 of the film thickness and the previously determined radial stock removal distribution in the thinning step B3.