[[File:SHRIMP II.jpg|thumb|300px|SHRIMP II at Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Australia]]

The sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (also sensitive high mass-resolution ion microprobe or SHRIMP) is a large-diameter, double-focusing secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) sector instrument that was produced by Australian Scientific Instruments in Canberra, Australia and now has been taken over by Chinese company Dunyi Technology Development Co. (DTDC) in Beijing. Similar to the IMS 1270-1280-1300 large-geometry ion microprobes produced by CAMECA, Gennevilliers, France and like other SIMS instruments, the SHRIMP microprobe bombards a sample under vacuum with a beam of primary ions that sputters secondary ions that are focused, filtered, and measured according to their energy and mass.

The SHRIMP is primarily used for geological and geochemical applications. It can measure the isotopic and elemental abundances in minerals at a 10 to 30 μm-diameter scale and with a depth resolution of 1–5 μm. Thus, SIMS method is well-suited for the analysis of complex minerals, as often found in metamorphic terrains, some igneous rocks, and for relatively rapid analysis of statistical valid sets of detrital minerals from sedimentary rocks. The most common application of the instrument is in uranium–thorium–lead geochronology, although the SHRIMP can be used to measure some other isotope ratio measurements (e.g., δ<sup>7</sup>Li or δ<sup>11</sup>B) and trace element abundances.

History and scientific impact

The SHRIMP originated in 1973 with a proposal by Prof. Bill Compston, Other significant milestones include the first U/Pb ages for lunar zircon

<!---->

  • Founding SHRIMP Lab at Australian National University
  • Australian Scientific Instruments

<!--

Research groups and facilities

Americas

  • Geological Survey of Canada (Ottawa)
  • U.S. Geological Survey & Stanford University (Stanford)
  • University of Sao Paulo

Asia

  • Hiroshima University
  • National Institute of Polar Research (Tokyo)
  • Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (Beijing)
  • Korea Basic Science Institute (Ochang)

Australasia

  • The Australian National University, Research School of Earth Sciences (Canberra)
  • John de Laeter Centre (Perth)
  • Geoscience Australia (Canberra)

Europe

  • Russian Geological Research Institution (St. Petersburg)

Instrument Manufacturers

  • Australian Scientific Instruments

-->