Position and growth direction control in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of WS2 and SnS2 by using patterned Si/SiO2 substrates has been demonstrated. It was found that step edges effectively worked as crystal nuclei and lateral crystal growth from the edges with a certain level of growth directionality was observed. Gas source CVD using industrially friendly precursors (WF6, SnCl4, and H2S) has also been developed and WS2 and SnS2 synthesis with wafer-scale uniformity have been obtained.