Manipulation of nanoparticles and biomolecules is an upcoming fi eld with potential applications in electronic and optical devices [ 1,2 ] and a variety of biosensors. [ 3,4 ] Ever since the fi rst particle manipulation experiment done by Eigler and Schweizer using scanning tunnel microscope, [ 5 ] there has been tremendous effort around the world to slide, lift or deposit nanoparticles with a high degree of specifi city and positioning them on desired substrates. [ 6–9 ] The atomic force microscope (AFM) is by far the most promising tool to manipulate single nanoparticles or nanoparticle conjugates. Depending on the path of the moving nanoparticle, manipulation can be categorized as horizontal or vertical. In the case of horizontal nanomanipulation, fewer factors affect the manipulation process (e.g., gravitational force, particle-substrate detachment force, and particle-probe attachment force could be ignored). The sliding nature of horizontal movement makes the particle-substrate interactions and particle-probe interactions less demanding. In recent works, nanostructures of various materials, sizes [ 10–13 ] and shapes [ 14 ] have been horizontally manipulated at ambient atmospheric conditions or even in fl uid environments. [ 15 ] Both contact and non-contact modes [ 16 ] of AFM have been successfully used for such particle manipulations. Vertical manipulation on the other hand is strongly dependent on both the probe-particle interaction and the particle-substrate interaction forces. The vertical deposition and patterning of small organic molecules on inorganic substrates has been widely reported using direct-writing techniques like dip pen nanolithography (DPN). [ 17,18 ] Removal or patterning of larger molecules like proteins and DNA require additional factors like mechanical forces as in AFM based nanografting [ 19,20 ] or electric forces as in electrochemical DPN, [ 21 ] nanopipetting [ 22,23 ] and dielectrophoretic deposition of DNA. [ 24 ] Thus far vertical lifting or deposition