A surgical end effector has a first jaw comprising a first electrode and a second jaw, wherein at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw is movable relative to the other one of the first jaw and the second jaw to transition the end effector between an open configuration, an approximated configuration, and a fully approximated configuration. The second jaw includes a second electrode and a spacer extending from the second electrode, wherein the spacer is configured to maintain a predetermined distance between the first electrode and the second electrode when the end effector is in the fully approximated configuration, wherein the spacer is in contact with the first electrode in the fully approximated configuration, wherein the spacer is spaced apart from the first electrode in the open configuration, and wherein the spacer is comprised of a semi-conductive material.
