Abstract: A thin film forming device comprises a vacuum chamber which is vacuous inside, a substrate holder which is provided in the vacuum chamber for holding a substrate thereon and a molecular beam source disposed in the vacuum chamber directed toward the substrate holder. An endoscope is inserted in the vacuum chamber at the tip end thereof and is covered by a transparent protecting tube connected to the tip end of a bellows. As the bellows is stretched or retracted, the tip end portion of the endoscope and the protecting tube can be advanced to a space between the substrate held by the substrate holder and the molecular beam source or retracted into a shelter provided at a side of the space. As a result, it is possible to know the composition of a thin film as well as to observe the irradiation source of material of the thin film and the plasma radiation while the film is being formed on the film-forming surface of the substrate in the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for freezing a sample by solidifying a liquid contained in the sample and widen the distance within the sample where the same is amorphously solidified. For this purpose, the sample is cooled immediately after being irradiated with an electromagnetic wave. The apparatus includes an electromagnetic irradiating means for irradiatine an electromagnetic wave on a sample immediately before freezing thereof.