A method of fabricating a phase change material (PCM) device is provided. The method includes disposing a dielectric layer above or below a PCM layer and disposing first and second contacts in a same plane within the dielectric layer with the first contact having a larger contact area than the second contact. The method also includes one of directing a short current pulse from the first contact to the second contact so as to form amorphous-PCM in a region of the PCM layer adjacent to the second contact with crystalline-PCM partially surrounding and in contact with the amorphous-PCM and directing a long current pulse from the first contact to the second contact so as to form crystalline-PCM in the region of the PCM layer adjacent to the second contact.