Integrated circuit with protective structure, and method of fabricating the integrated circuit

A structure comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having a substrate area and having semiconductor devices formed thereon or therein;
• an interconnecting metallization structure formed over and connected to the devices, the interconnecting metallization structure including at least one dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer has a dielectric constant less than 2.6;
• a passivation layer over the interconnecting metallization structure and the dielectric layer, wherein the passivation layer comprises a first sub-layer over the interconnecting metallization structure, and a second sub-layer over the first sub-layer, the passivation layer having at least one conductive line with a conductive line area;
• and
• at least one metal contact pad and at least one dummy metal structure in the passivation layer, the contact pad conductively coupled to at least one of the devices, the contact pad having a contact pad area, the dummy metal structure being spaced apart from the contact pad and unconnected to the contact pad and the devices, the dummy metal structure located in the second sub-layer, the dummy metal structure having a dummy metal area,
• wherein the passivation layer has a metal density of at least 20% and at most 80%, where the metal density is a ratio of (contact pad area+dummy metal area+conductive line area in the passivation layer)/substrate area.