A wafer holder assembly for use in an ion implantation system includes at least one base structural member attachable to an end-station within the implantation system. At least a wafer-holding member, formed of an electrically conductive refractive material, is coupled to the base member and is adapted to hold a wafer in the path of an ion beam within the ion implantation system. The wafer holder assembly can include first and second main structural members from which first and second wafer-holding arms extend. The first arm is secured to the main structural members by a graphite retaining member. The second arm is pivotally biased to a wafer-hold position by a graphite bias member. This arrangement provides a conductive path from the wafer to the assembly for inhibiting electrical discharges form the wafer during the ion implantation process. The wafer-contacting pins at the distal end of the arms can be formed form silicon or graphite. The pins can be coated, for example, with titanium nitride to enhance electrical contact with the wafer and to provide an abrasion resistant surface. The pins can have a limited profile to minimize the amount of pin material proximate the wafer for reducing the likelihood of electrical arcing from the wafer to the pin.
