Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods for forming memory devices, and more specifically to improved methods for forming a dielectric encapsulation layer over a memory material in a memory device. In one embodiment, the method includes thermally depositing a first material over a memory material at a temperature less than the temperature of the thermal budget of the memory material, exposing the first material to nitrogen plasma to incorporate nitrogen in the first material, and repeating the thermal deposition and nitrogen plasma operations to form a hermetic, conformal dielectric encapsulation layer over the memory material. Thus, a memory device having a hermetic, conformal dielectric encapsulation layer over the memory material is formed.