1. A method for operating a structural phase-change memory cell, comprising: programming a selected cell in a structural phase-change memory into a selected state by raising a cell voltage and a cell current for the selected cell to programming threshold levels, and then lowering the voltage and current to quiescent levels below their programming threshold levels; and then applying a precharge pulse which raises a bitline voltage of the selected cell and does not raise the cell voltage and cell current to their programming threshold levels; and then raising the cell current to a read level below the programming threshold level and comparing the bitline voltage, while the current is at the read level, to a reference voltage.