Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) ZnS and ZnSe have high infrared transmittance and good optical and mechanical properties, and are the preferred infrared optical materials for infrared military detection systems. The preparation of largesized and highly homogeneous ZnS and ZnSe materials is an important topic for future research. This article introduces the principle of chemical vapor deposition and the main problems in the accumulation process, describes the necessary optical properties of highperformance infrared materials, summarizes and analyzes the research progress of CVD ZnS and CVD ZnSe, and main defect formation mechanism of the two materials as well as the process control research. It aims to improve the production process parameters and provide theoretical reference for the batch preparation of highperformance ZnS and ZnSe materials for military applications.