Is it really true that it’s inert? I thought making solar panels was a pretty toxic endeavor, which is in part why so many are made in China. Is it just in the manufacturing or in the final product too?
No, China actively bought the tech and move the production into mainland china. Closing down boughtout businesses after all knowledge was absorbed.
Their strategy was to become market leader in solar - its a good future bet.
Lastly there's the resin and framing.
The side by products of this process are very quickly hydrolyzed to silica and hydrochloric acid, neither of which is something to worry about as a persistent pollutant.
The volumes are also small. Just a few hundred thousand tons of silicon are used every year for all electronics (PV and ICs combined).
But...(at least in the US), wafer manufacturing is highly regulated and focused on safe waste handling...
I think the dominant consumer of HF, industrially, is in petroleum refineries, where HF is used in alkylation units.