A semiconductor IC device which includes a circuit region and a peripheral
region on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating
film formed over the main surface, external terminals arranged in the
peripheral region and formed over the first insulating film, a conductive
guard ring formed over the first insulating film and provided around the
external terminals, and second insulating films formed in the internal
region and the peripheral region, the second insulating film in the
peripheral region is formed over the first insulating film and over the
guard ring and is contacting the external terminals, the second
insulating films of the circuit region and that of the peripheral region
are separately formed and are isolated from each other. Separate second
insulating film may be formed over the wirings of one or more of existing
wiring levels of the semiconductor device.