  Microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) has been traditionally
used to synthesize carbon-based materials such as diamonds, carbon nanotubes
and graphene. Here we report that a rapid and catalyst-free growth of SnSe thin
films can be achieved by using single-mode MPCVD with appropriate source
materials. The analysis combing microscope images, X-ray diffraction patterns
and lattice vibration modes shows that the grown thin films were composed of
orthorhombic structured SnSe polycrystals mainly along the (111) direction.
Further thermoelectric (TE) characterizations reveal that the power factor of
the SnSe films reached 3.98 {\mu}W cm-1K-2 at 600 K, comparable to the highest
reported values of SnSe thin films. Our results may open an avenue for rapid
synthesis of new types of materials such as IV-VI compounds and be useful for
TE application of these materials.
