The structural stability of carbon (C) incorporated Sb2Te films was investigated during crystallization process. Variations in the transition temperature for the as-deposited films during crystallization show that these films exhibit their enhanced amorphous stability due to C incorporation, while more C content will lead to a difference in the degree of disorder in the crystalline state. XPS data reveals that C atoms do not bond with Sb and Te atoms and only present in the form of C-C bonds. According to XRD and TEM results, C atoms presents amorphous and this can increase the degree of disorder in the crystalline films. The Sb2Te nanocrystals were surrounded by an amorphous C phase. A subsequent Raman analysis further provides the direct evidence of improvement in the degree of disorder in the crystalline state. The laser-induced crystallization process of C-37.4(Sb2Te)(62.6) reveals that the degree of disorder in the crystalline state is relatively high and the reliability during the repetitive laser melt-quenching cycles is confirmed with fast crystallization as well as a low melting point of only 353 degrees C. Increasing degree of disorder in the Sb2Te films by C addition can improve the phase-change behavior and make this film suitable for data storage applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.