A method for fabricating 3-D cross-point memory arrays, and more particularly to fabricating phase change memory (PCM) and resistive RAM (ReRAM or RRAM) 3-D memory arrays having a cell size footprint of 4F2. The method for forming a plurality of layers of memory cells using a limited number of photolithographic patterning steps is applicable to memory devices having single or multiple storage bits per cell, such as cells having anywhere from one to eight bits per cell or more. These bits are stacked three dimensionally and include memory cells based on phase change material, on resistive change material, on magnetic field alignment, on mechanical switching, and on other memory cells based on other information storage technologies.