Abstract: Inventive methods are provided for the production of large-area membrane masks, wherein an inexpedient mechanical excessive strain on the membrane or of the membrane layer/etching stop layer/supporting wafer system or the resulting breaking of the components is avoided, which excessive strain occurs particularly due to the employment of an etching cell or generally due to the thin semiconductor layers. The stripping of the semiconductor support layer is preferably performed in two partial steps that are carried out in a mechanically sealed etching cell or with a protective coating, or that one partial step is performed with an etching cell and one with a protective coating, or that the stripping of the semiconductor support layer is performed in a mechanically sealed etching cell initially with a supporting grid and that the supporting grid is removed only after withdrawal from the etching cell.