Semiconductor body holder

A semiconductor body holder comprising:

• a base comprising a rigid refractory member comprising a quartz rod and having first and second ends, said first end being adapted to support said holder and
• three flexible refractory arms, of quartz each of said arms including distal and proximal ends, the proximal end of each arm being fixed to said second end of said base, said arms forming an obtuse angle of quartz with said base and each of said arms including a refractory finger fixed to the distal end thereof, each of said fingers extending generally toward the central axis of said base, the orientation of said fingers, said arms and said base with each other minimizing any shadowing effect of the arms upon radiation emitted by a wafer supported by the holder as well as minimizing the inducement of undesirable thermal gradients in said wafer, each of said fingers being capable of engaging only a minimal outermost peripheral surface area of a wafer and each arm being capable of only contacting a minimal portion of an edge of a wafer.