Dow Electronic Materials breaks ground in Korea for new TMG facility to serve LED market

MIDLAND, USA: Dow Electronic Materials, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., has broken ground for a new metalorganic precursor manufacturing plant in Cheonan, Korea.

The construction of Dow Electronic Materials’ new Korea plant is part of a multi-phase plan announced in June 2010 to expand TrimethylGallium (TMG) production capacity to meet the surging global demand for the material in the LED and related electronics markets. The facility is expected to be operational in early 2011.

Capacity expansion in the United States at existing facilities is also progressing as planned, with new capacity expected by the end of 2010 and continuing through the first quarter of 2011. Total additional capacity resulting from the multi-phase plan is expected to be 60 metric tons per year.

“Meeting our customers’ near-and long-term needs for high-quality materials continues to be a priority for us,” said Joe Reiser, global business director, Metalorganic Technologies, Dow Electronic Materials. “The construction of our new facility in Korea illustrates our commitment to investing in expansion and having supply capabilities close to our customer base in Asia.”

TMG is a metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) precursor material that is critical to the manufacture of LEDs and other compound semiconductor devices. Exceptionally high-quality materials and precise delivery of metalorganic precursors are essential to building reliable LEDs.

The new metalorganic precursor plant in Korea will be located in Cheonan, approximately 85 kilometers south of Seoul. Dow Electronic Materials currently manufactures TMG and other metalorganic precursors in North Andover, MA, while packaging is done in both North Andover, MA, and Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Dow Electronic Materials is the leading supplier of precursors to the LED market and has patented precursor manufacturing processes and delivery technology.