Liquid level sensor, ampoule, and liquid amount detection method

A liquid level sensor for detecting a level of a liquid contained in an ampoule in which a bubbling gas is introduced, said liquid level sensor comprising:

• a self-heating sensor probe and a temperature measuring sensor probe which are disposed within said ampoule;
• temperature difference detecting means for detecting a temperature difference between said self-heating sensor probe and said temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and
• arithmetic means for determining a bubbling time of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference and calculating an amount of use of said liquid in said ampoule from said bubbling time.

A liquid level sensor for detecting a level of a liquid contained in an ampoule in which a bubbling gas is introduced, said liquid level sensor comprising:

• a self-heating sensor probe and a temperature measuring sensor probe which are disposed within said ampoule;
• temperature difference detecting means for detecting a temperature difference between said self-heating sensor probe and said temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and
• arithmetic means for counting the number of bubbling periods of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference and calculating an amount of use of said liquid in said ampoule from said number of bubbling periods.

A liquid level sensor for detecting a level of a liquid contained in an ampoule in which a bubbling gas is introduced, said liquid level sensor comprising:

• a first sensor probe section, disposed within said ampoule, comprising a first self-heating sensor probe and a first temperature measuring sensor probe;
• a second sensor probe section, disposed within said ampoule so as to have a lower end positioned higher than that of said first sensor probe section, comprising a second self-heating sensor probe and a second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• temperature difference detecting means for detecting a temperature difference between said first self-heating sensor probe and said first temperature measuring sensor probe, and a temperature difference between said second self-heating sensor probe and said second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• first arithmetic means for calculating an amount of use of liquid per bubbling period of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference between said second self-heating sensor probe and said second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and
• second arithmetic means for counting the number of bubbling periods of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference between said first self-heating sensor probe and said first temperature measuring sensor probe, and calculating an amount of use of said liquid in said ampoule from said number of bubbling periods and said amount of use of said liquid per bubbling period.

An ampoule comprising:

• a body for accommodating a liquid;
• a gas inlet section, provided in said body, for introducing a bubbling gas into said body;
• a gas outlet section, provided in said body, for leading a gas generated by bubbling of said bubbling gas to the outside of said body;
• a self-heating sensor probe and a temperature measuring sensor probe which are disposed within said body;
• temperature difference detecting means for detecting a temperature difference between said self-heating sensor probe and said temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and
• bubbling count means for counting the number of bubbling periods of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference.

An ampoule comprising:

• a body for accommodating a liquid;
• a gas inlet section, provided in said body, for introducing a bubbling gas into said body;
• a gas outlet section, provided in said body, for leading a gas generated by bubbling of said bubbling gas to the outside of said body;
• a self-heating sensor probe and a temperature measuring sensor probe which are disposed within said body;
• temperature difference detecting means for detecting a temperature difference between said self-heating sensor probe and said temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and
• arithmetic means for determining a bubbling time of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference and calculating an amount of use of said liquid from said bubbling time.

An ampoule comprising:

• a body for accommodating a liquid;
• a gas inlet section, provided in said body, for introducing a bubbling gas into said body;
• a gas outlet section, provided in said body, for leading a gas generated by bubbling of said bubbling gas to the outside of said body;
• a self-heating sensor probe and a temperature measuring sensor probe which are disposed within said body;
• temperature difference detecting means for detecting a temperature difference between said self-heating sensor probe and said temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and
• arithmetic means for counting the number of bubbling periods of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference and calculating an amount of use of said liquid from said number of bubbling periods.

An ampoule comprising:

• a body for accommodating a liquid;
• a gas inlet section, provided in said body, for introducing a bubbling gas into said body;
• a gas outlet section, provided in said body, for leading a gas generated by bubbling of said bubbling gas to the outside of said body;
• a first sensor probe section, disposed within said body, comprising a first self-heating sensor probe and a first temperature measuring sensor probe;
• a second sensor probe section, disposed within said body so as to have a lower end positioned higher than that of said first sensor probe section, comprising a second self-heating sensor probe and a second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature difference between said first self-heating sensor probe and said first temperature measuring sensor probe, and a temperature difference between said second self-heating sensor probe and said second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• first arithmetic means for calculating an amount of use of said liquid per bubbling period of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference between said second self-heating sensor probe and said second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and
• second arithmetic means for counting the number of bubbling periods of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference between said first self-heating sensor probe and said first temperature measuring sensor probe, and calculating an amount of use of said liquid in said ampoule from said number of bubbling periods and said amount of use of said liquid per bubbling period.

A liquid amount detection method comprising the steps of:

• using a liquid level sensor constituted by a first sensor probe section, disposed within an ampoule into which a bubbling gas is introduced, comprising a first self-heating sensor probe and a first temperature measuring sensor probe;
• and a second sensor probe section, disposed within said ampoule so as to have a lower end positioned higher than that of said first sensor probe section, comprising a second self-heating sensor probe and a second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• detecting a temperature difference between said second self-heating sensor probe and said second temperature measuring sensor probe;
• calculating an amount of use of liquid per bubbling period of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference;
• detecting a temperature difference between said first self-heating sensor probe and said first temperature measuring sensor probe thereafter;
• counting the number of bubbling periods of said bubbling gas according to said temperature difference;
• and calculating an amount of use of a liquid accommodated within said ampoule according to said number of bubbling periods and said amount of use of liquid per bubbling period.