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A sample cooling apparatus capable of cooling and holding samples or wafers at a cryogenic temperature with no vibration or drift with respect to a measurement reference surface is disclosed. In the sample cooling apparatus, a sample holder is arranged in a vacuum vessel mounted on a housing having

A sample cooling apparatus capable of cooling and holding samples or wafers at a cryogenic temperature with no vibration or drift with respect to a measurement reference surface is disclosed. In the sample cooling apparatus, a sample holder is arranged in a vacuum vessel mounted on a housing having a table for forming a measurement reference surface to be supported by a thermal insulator. A frame is disposed within the housing to be supported by a first buffer. A refrigerating machine is disposed in the frame to be supported by a second buffer and has a head directed to the vacuum vessel. The cooling head of the refrigerating machine is connected to the sample holder by way of a flexible thermal conduction member.

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1. A sample cooling apparatus comprising: a sample holder arranged in and fixed on a vacuum vessel supported by a thermal insulator, said vacuum vessel being mounted and fixed on a table forming a measurement reference surface, with the table being disposed on a housing;a frame disposed within said

1. A sample cooling apparatus comprising: a sample holder arranged in and fixed on a vacuum vessel supported by a thermal insulator, said vacuum vessel being mounted and fixed on a table forming a measurement reference surface, with the table being disposed on a housing;a frame disposed within said housing, said frame being supported by a first deformable buffer member arranged between said housing and said frame; anda refrigerating machine disposed within said frame, said refrigerating machine being supported by a second deformable buffer member arranged between said frame and said refrigerating machine and having a head of said refrigerating machine directed to and disposed in said vacuum vessel; said head of said refrigerating machine being connected to said sample holder by way of a flexible thermal conduction member arranged between said sample holder and said head of said refrigerating machine; said vacuum vessel being mounted on said refrigerating machine through a flexible vacuum bellows arranged between said vacuum vessel and said refrigerating machine, whereinsaid first and second deformable buffer members each exhibit a buffering function by deformation of said deformable buffer members;said frame is disposed between said housing and said refrigerating machine, and is suspended in the air via said first deformable buffer member and second deformable buffer member; andsaid frame vibrates or moves independently between said housing and said refrigerating machine, by virtue of said deformation of said first and second deformable buffer members. 2. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vacuum vessel is disposed on one side of said measurement reference surface and said frame is disposed on the other side of said measurement reference surface. 3. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing is provided with said vacuum vessel disposed above a hole formed in said table, said vacuum vessel being open-bottomed and U-shaped in cross section and said frame disposed below said hole formed in said table, said frame being open-topped and U-shaped in cross section;wherein said refrigerating machine is disposed for having a head of said refrigerating machine directed to said vacuum vessel and a lower portion against said head of said refrigerating machine positioned in said frame, a side portion of said refrigerating machine being enclosed by a sealing wall, the sealing wall being disposed within the frame and supported by the second deformable buffer member; andwherein an upper portion of said sealing wall and a lower portion of said vacuum vessel are connected with the flexible vacuum bellows. 4. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said sample holder, said flexible thermal conduction member, and said head of said refrigerating machine are covered with a thermal radiation shield connected to an intermediate cooling portion of said refrigerating machine. 5. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said thermal radiation shield is provided with an optical measurement opening. 6. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said thermal radiation shield is provided with a detachable or opening/closing cover. 7. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said thermal radiation shield is provided with a thermal blocking optical window. 8. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a sample or a wafer mounted on said sample holder, wherein vibration and drift values of said sample or said wafer is 0.2 μm or less, respectively, and a temperature of said sample or said wafer is 20 K or less. 9. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising means for connecting or approaching an electric wire, probe electrode, cantilever or optical probe to said sample or said wafer. 10. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said sample or said wafer is mounted on said sample holder by means of a ring or mesh shaped plate, said plate being placed on said sample or said wafer and securely fixed to said sample holder with one or more screws or one or more clamps. 11. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising a gate valve and a load lock for replacing said sample or said wafer in said vacuum vessel. 12. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising a cassette for exchanging said sample or said wafer, said cassette being disposed within or outside said load lock and holding a single or plural samples or wafers. 13. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising a manual arm or an automatic arm for replacing said sample or said wafer. 14. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said first deformable buffer member and said second deformable buffer member each have an active vibration reducing function. 15. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vacuum vessel is provided with a detachable or opening/closing optical window. 16. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said thermal insulator is fixed to said vacuum vessel by at least two beams or more. 17. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said beams penetrate said thermal radiation shield. 18. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said beams are in a shape of a bolt and are inserted in holes formed in said vacuum vessel from outside of said vacuum vessel for fixing said thermal insulator; and wherein a head of said bolt is covered with a vacuum cover attached to said vacuum vessel and sealed with O-rings arranged between said vacuum cover and said vacuum vessel. 19. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said beams have a cylindrical side surface, said cylindrical side surface being attached to side surface of said holes formed in said vacuum vessel and sealed with O-rings between said cylindrical side surface of said beams and said side surface of said holes. 20. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting position or tilt of said sample holder with respect to said measurement reference surface by means of six to eight beams. 21. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said thermal insulator is of a cylindrical or rod shape. 22. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said sample holder has an electrostatic adsorption function. 23. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible thermal conduction member is made of one or more material selected from a group consisting of a copper wire, silver wire, silver-plated copper wire, gold-plated copper wire, gold-plated silver wire, copper ribbon, silver ribbon, silver-plated copper ribbon, gold-plated copper ribbon, and gold-plated silver ribbon. 24. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said table for forming said measurement reference surface is an optical table. 25. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for moving said measurement reference surface with respect to a second measurement reference surface. 26. The sample cooling apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said refrigerating machine is selected from a group consisting of a GM-type refrigerating machine, Solvay-type refrigerating machine, Joule-Thomson-type refrigerating machine, piston pipe type refrigerating machine, or helium circulating type refrigerating machine. 27. The sample cooling apparatus for use in microscopic observation, microspectroscopic analysis, near-field microscopic observation, near-field spectroscopic analysis, optical response characteristic evaluation, photoconduction characteristic evaluation, or conduction characteristic evaluation of a sample or wafer as defined in claim 1. 28. A sample cooling apparatus comprising: a refrigerating machine having a head;a vacuum vessel;a sample holder;a thermal insulator;a flexible thermal conduction member;a flexible vacuum bellows;a frame;a housing having a member for forming a measurement reference surface;a first deformable buffer member; anda second deformable buffer member,wherein said head of said refrigerating machine is disposed in said vacuum vessel,said vacuum vessel is fixed on said member for forming a measurement reference surface,said sample holder is fixed on said vacuum vessel via said thermal insulator, and is further connected to said head of said refrigerating machine via said flexible thermal conduction member,said flexible vacuum bellows is arranged between said vacuum vessel and said refrigerating machine,said first deformable buffer member is arranged between said housing and said frame,said second deformable buffer member is arranged between said frame and said refrigerating machine,said first and second deformable buffer members each exhibit a buffering function by deformation thereof;said frame is disposed between said housing and said refrigerating machine, and is suspended in the air via said first deformable buffer member and second deformable buffer member; andsaid frame vibrates or moves independently between said housing and said refrigerating machine, by virtue of said deformation of said first and second deformable buffer members. 29. The sample cooling apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the first and second deformable buffer members are formed from one or more of rubber, resin, gel, and spring. 30. The sample cooling apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said housing is provided with said vacuum vessel disposed above a hole formed in said table, said vacuum vessel being open-bottomed and U-shaped in cross section and said frame disposed below said hole formed in said table, said frame being open-topped and U-shaped in cross section;said refrigerating machine is disposed having a head of said refrigerating machine directed to said vacuum vessel and a lower portion against said head of said refrigerating machine positioned in said frame, a side portion of said refrigerating machine being enclosed by a sealing wall, the sealing wall being disposed within the frame and supported by the second deformable buffer member; andan upper portion of said sealing wall and a lower portion of said vacuum vessel are connected with the flexible vacuum bellows. 31. A sample cooling apparatus comprising: a refrigerating machine having a head;a vacuum vessel;a sample holder;a thermal insulator;a flexible thermal conduction member;a flexible vacuum bellows;a frame;a housing having a member for forming a measurement reference surface;a first deformable buffer member; anda second deformable buffer member,wherein said head of said refrigerating machine is disposed in said vacuum vessel,said vacuum vessel is fixed on said member for forming a measurement reference surface,said sample holder is fixed on said vacuum vessel via said thermal insulator, and is further connected to said head of said refrigerating machine via said flexible thermal conduction member,said flexible vacuum bellows is arranged between said vacuum vessel and said refrigerating machine,said first deformable buffer member is arranged between said housing and said frame,said second deformable buffer member is arranged between said frame and said refrigerating machine,said first deformable buffer member and said deformable second deformable buffer member each have an active vibration reducing function,said first and second deformable buffer members each exhibit a buffering function by deformation thereof;said frame is disposed between said housing and said refrigerating machine, and is suspended in the air via said first deformable buffer member and second deformable buffer member; andsaid frame vibrates or moves independently between said housing and said refrigerating machine, by virtue of said deformation of said first and second deformable buffer members.