Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, named after Hemlock, Michigan

Hemlock, Michigan

Hemlock is an unincorporated community in Richland Township, Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes, but without any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population of the CDP was 1,585 at the 2000 census. The area...

, is the largest producer of polysilicon in the United States. It is a subsidiary of Dow Corning

Dow Corning

Dow Corning is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, USA. Dow Corning specializes in silicon and silicone-based technology, offering more than 7,000 products and services...

 and was founded in 1961.

Its current facilities produce some 36,000 tons of polysilicon, ranking it among the top 5 producers worldwide. The expansion is a new $1.2 billion plant in Tennessee since 2008 with its Japanese joint venture partners Shin-Etsu Chemical

Shin-Etsu Chemical

is the largest chemical company in Japan, ranked No. 9 in Forbes Global 2000 for chemical sector. Shin-Etsu has the largest global market share for polyvinyl chloride, semiconductor silicon and photomask substrates....

 and Mitsubishi Materials

Mitsubishi Materials

, or MMC, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group. It is listed on the Nikkei 225.-Business Summary:Mitsubishi Materials Corporation has 7 business sections, which are:* Cement Business* Metals Business...

, due to open in 2012. This same plant is under negotiation for yet another $3 billion expansion to keep apace with Chinese rivals.