A bibliography has been compiled covering the production, control, and application of high brightness ion beams extracted from liquid metal and gas field ion sources. The development of this research field is studied, from its inception in the 1970’s in United States and United Kingdom research laboratories to its current status as a routine research tool used in the characterization and modification of a wide range of materials in laboratories worldwide. The increasing importance of Japanese research institutions in the development of new source materials and in the use of these beams in semiconductor materials modification is noted.