Pulsed IR laser irradiation of metal (Au or Ag) target in gaseous tetramethyltin (TMT) results in metal ablation and adjacent dielectric breakdown (DB) in TMT and allows gas phase deposition of films containing metal (Au or Ag), Sn and C elements. Volatile products of DB of TMT were examined by FT‐IR spectroscopy and revealed as intermediates of gas phase carbonization reactions. The solid films were analyzed by FT‐IR and Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and electron microscopy and shown as amorphous nanostructured Au–Sn/C and Ag–Sn/C phases containing β‐Sn nanograins. These Sn nanograins exhibit irreversible amorphization upon heating and melt below the melting point of bulk β‐Sn phase. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.