Corning to Get Up to $32 Million in CHIPS Act Funding for Chipmaking Glass Production

Corning, known for its durable Gorilla Glass, will receiveup to $32 million in funding through the CHIPS and Science Act, as announced bythe U.S. Commerce Department. This funding aims to help Corning ramp upproduction of its specialized glass products, which are vital to the semiconductormanufacturing process.

The announcement arrives just after the European Commissionlaunched an antitrust investigation into Corning, assessing whether itsexclusive supply deals hinder market competition. Notably, Corning’s GorillaGlass is widely used by Samsung, Apple, and other major tech brands for smartphones,tablets, and wearables. However, the CHIPS Act funding will not support GorillaGlass production; instead, it will be directed toward manufacturing High PurityFused Silica and Extreme Ultra-Low Expansion Glass. These materials areessential in lithography and photomasks, both critical for creating microchippatterns on silicon wafers.

Corning plans to use the funding to scale an innovativeproduction process at its Canton, New York facility. This expansion isprojected to create 130 new manufacturing roles and over 175 construction jobs. The CHIPS Act, signed by President Joe Biden in 2022, isintended to enhance U.S. semiconductor production. However, the future of theAct remains uncertain as the administration changes. Bloomberg notes that theBiden administration is working to finalize grant allocations, while recently,Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) clarified that Republicans intend to “streamline”rather than “repeal” the legislation.