The invention relates to a partially disposable substrate holder used in magnetic latches for securing substrates on a planetary rotating platform suspended above a coating source in a vacuum chamber of a vapor deposition system, e.g. a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) system. The substrate holder includes a reusable base formed, at least partially, from a ferro-magnetic material, which is attracted to the magnetic latch, and a disposable cover formed from a relatively inexpensive, ferromagnetic, easily formable material, which encourages adherence of coating material and has a low vapor pressure at coating temperatures.