During experimentation, Corning scientists Stuart Dockerty and Clint Shay developed the fusion overflow process that is now used to produce flat glass. In their method, molten glass flows down both sides of a tapered trough and rejoins, or fuses, at the bottom to form a single sheet of flawless glass.
In the 1980s, research labs working on active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCDs) found that ordinary glass was not precise, stable or durable enough to meet their requirements. Corning’s “fusion” glass fit the bill perfectly. Bill Dumbaugh led an aggressive R&D effort to improve glass composition and refine the fusion process to supply the emerging LCD market with high-quality flat glass. The result was a lightweight, durable panel that aided the industry in making large, high-quality flat displays possible for televisions, computer monitors and other new applications.