Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to an apparatus and method associated with a semiconductor device with thermally coupled phase change layers. The semiconductor device comprises a first phase change layer selectively configurable in a relatively low resistance crystalline phase and a relatively high resistance amorphous phase, and a second phase change layer thermally coupled to the first phase change layer. The second phase change layer is characterized as a metal-insulator transition material. A programming pulse is applied to the semiconductor device from a first electrode layer to a second electrode layer to provide the first phase change layer with a selected resistance.