Dow Corning has established a new silicone production unit exclusively for LEDs in Jincheon, Korea, to support the global LED market and meet the needs of its customers in Asia.

The Jincheon site will manufacture silicone intermediate materials and encapsulants for use in LED packaging applications, protecting LEDs from environmental elements such as humidity and moisture, and providing stress relief and UV resistance. Silicone encapsulants thereby increase light output and minimize heat build-up.

According to research by iSuppli Corp., the global LED market is expected to show 2.9% revenue growth this year. The research projected that the LCD-TV market alone is expected to consume $163 million worth of LEDs in 2009, up 221.9% from $51 million in 2008. By 2012, LCD-TV LED revenue will grow to $1.4 billion, nearly 9 times that of 2009.

Dow Corning is a joint venture equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Inc.