Corning Incorporated is pretty jazzed that its board of directors approved spending big bucks on expanding the company's LCD glass and Gorilla glass manufacturing, apparently "in response to strong market demand."

All told, the Gorilla glass maker will invest around $800 million to construct a new LCD glass substrate facility in China, with production of these super tough display panel covers expected to commence in the first half of 2012.

"The need for additional Gorilla glass capacity is based in part on the product's new application as a TV cover glass," Weeks explained. "Gorilla glass has already been embraced by information technology and handheld device makers, and the addition of the TV cover glass application creates a tremendous opportunity for further growth."

Gorilla glass is a protective cover already offered on a number of handheld devices and smartphones, offering superior damage and scratch resistance. By porting the technology over to LCD monitors and TVs, display makers would have an easier time reducing or perhaps even eliminating bezels, which are a particular distraction in multi-monitor setups.