The phase transformation properties of the nitrogen-doped Sb-rich Si-Sb-Te films were investigated in detail. It was found that the addition of N atoms into the Si-Sb-Te films increases the temperature for phase transition from the amorphous phase to a stable hexagonal structure and enhances the sheet resistance of the films following grain refinement. The surface topography of the crystalline films was improved by doping nitrogen atoms. The activation energy for crystallization of the films was increased from 1.84 to 2.89 eV with the increased nitrogen content from 0 to 21 at.%, which promises an improved thermal stability. A prolonged data lifetime up to 10 years at 149.4 degrees C was realized. From the device performance point of view, the N-doped Si-Sb-Te film with a moderate nitrogen content was preferable for the phase-change memory applications due to its advantage of higher reliability. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.