Equity Method Investments (Details) Share data in Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			4 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended
	May 30, 2013 USD ($)	May 31, 2012 USD ($)	May 30, 2013 USD ($)	May 31, 2012 USD ($)	Aug. 30, 2012 USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Nanya Technology Corporation ('Nanya') [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Nanya Technology Corporation ('Nanya') [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Nanya Technology Corporation ('Nanya') [Member] USD ($)	May 28, 2013 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	May 28, 2013 Inotera [Member] TWD	Mar. 31, 2012 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2013 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2013 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Inotera [Member]	May 30, 2013 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 30, 2012 Inotera [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2013 Inotera [Member] Inventories [Member] DRAM [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Inotera [Member] Inventories [Member] DRAM [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2013 Inotera [Member] Inventories [Member] DRAM [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Inotera [Member] Inventories [Member] DRAM [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 29, 2013 Inotera [Member] Scenario, Forecast [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2013 Inotera [Member] Nanya Technology Corporation ('Nanya') [Member]	May 30, 2013 Other [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Other [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2013 Other [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Other [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 30, 2012 Other [Member] USD ($)	May 30, 2013 Other [Member] Aptina [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Other [Member] Transform [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 04, 2010 Other [Member] Transform [Member]	May 30, 2013 Other [Member] Transform [Member]	May 30, 2013 Other [Member] Transform [Member] Origin Energy Limited [Member]	May 30, 2013 Primarily Inotera [Member] USD ($)
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment Balance	$ 272,000,000		$ 272,000,000		$ 389,000,000							$ 259,000,000				$ 259,000,000		$ 370,000,000							$ 13,000,000		$ 13,000,000		$ 19,000,000	$ 0	$ 0
Ownership Percentage (in hundredths)												35.50%				35.50%		39.70%												30.20%			50.00%
Equity in net loss of equity method investees	(10,000,000)	(115,000,000)	(120,000,000)	(262,000,000)								(13,000,000)		(38,000,000)		(121,000,000)	(157,000,000)								3,000,000	(77,000,000)	1,000,000	(105,000,000)
Maximum exposure to loss related variable interest entities																																			262,000,000
Percentage interest held by a third party (in hundredths)																								36.10%										50.00%
Equity [Abstract]
Number of shares issued by Inotera									634	634
Stock price per share									$ 0.32	9.47
Ownership percentage before transaction									39.70%	39.70%	29.70%
Ownership percentage after transaction									35.50%	35.50%	39.70%
Gain on Inotera stock issuance																							48,000,000
Payments to acquire equity method investments			0	180,000,000							170,000,000
Market value of equity interest in Inotera												854,000,000				854,000,000
Amount in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for cumulative translation adjustments on its investment												51,000,000				51,000,000		49,000,000
Inotera Amortization														12,000,000			36,000,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information [Abstract]
Inotera net loss													24,000,000
Inotera current liabilities that exceed current assets													1,680,000,000
Percentage of Inotera's wafer production obligated to purchase (in hundredths)															50.00%
Purchases of DRAM products from Inotera																			341,000,000	178,000,000	742,000,000	476,000,000
Reduction in research and development costs under cost sharing arrangement						35,000,000	19,000,000	108,000,000
Ownership percentage after stock transactions during period (in hundredths)																																50.00%
Other than temporary impairment in Transform																															$ 69,000,000