A method for producing a layer of solid material includes: providing a solid body having opposing first and second surfaces, the second surface being part of the layer of solid material; generating defects by means of multiphoton excitation caused by at least one laser beam penetrating into the solid body via the second surface and acting in an inner structure of the solid body to generate a detachment plane, the detachment plane including regions with different concentrations of defects; providing a polymer layer on the solid body; and generating mechanical stress in the solid body such that a crack propagates in the solid body along the detachment plane and the layer of solid material separates from the solid body along the crack.