Lateral manipulation means moving an adsorbate on the surface by making a temporary chemical or physical bond between the STM tip and the adsorbate. A typical lateral manipulation sequence begins by positioning the tip close to the adsorbate, bringing the tip close to the surface by increasing the tunneling current setpoint, moving the tip along a desired route and finally retracting the tip to normal scanning height. Lateral manipulation is typically applied to strongly bound adsorbates, such as metal adatoms on metal surfaces. The probability that the surface adsorbate moves the same distance traveled by the tip is strongly dependent on the tip conditions.
Depending on the tip apex and the surface/adsorbate system, the lateral motion can occur by pushing, pulling or sliding of the adsorbate. These modes result in distinct tunneling current signals during the lateral motion. For example, periodic steps in the tunneling current indicate that the adsorbate is “jumping” between adsorption sites while following the tip: this means the tip pushes or pulls the adsorbate.