A ring-shaped heater, system, and method to gradually change the conductance of the phase change memory through a concentric ring-shaped heater. The system may include a phase change memory. The phase change memory may include a bottom electrode. The phase change memory may also include a ring-shaped heater patterned on top of the bottom electrode, the ring-shaped heater including: a plurality of concentric conductive heating layers, and a plurality of insulator spacers, where each insulator spacer separates each conductive heating layer. The phase change memory may also include a phase change material proximately connected to the ring-shaped heater. The phase change memory may also include a top electrode proximately connected to the phase change material.