LONDON, U.K.: The European Union's antitrust watchdog has launched a formal investigation into Corning Inc., suspecting the specialty glass manufacturer may have used exclusive agreements to stifle competition in the Gorilla Glass market.

The European Union launched an investigation into Corning Inc., the American company behind the popular Gorilla Glass, for possible violations of competition laws. Corning, a major supplier of specialized toughened glass used in smartphones and electronic devices,

Corning is facing European Union antitrust scrutiny after the bloc’s watchdog said it’s investigating the speciality glass maker’s exclusive deals for its Gorilla Glass used in cellphones.

Corning, the maker of Gorilla Glass, is set to receive up to $32 million in funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. In an announcement on Friday, the US Commerce Department said the proposed funding will help Corning increase production of its glass products used in the chip-making process.

Corning is primarily known for its ruggedized glasses for smartphones and is barely known in the semiconductor industry. Yet, its contribution to the production of chips using leading-edge technologies is rather huge.

Corning (NYSE:GLW) was named to receive $32M in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to help support the U.S. semiconductor supply chain after the Department of Commerce signed a preliminary memorandum of terms on Friday.