A method of forming aluminum guard structures in copper interconnect structures, used to protect the copper interconnect structures from a laser write procedure, performed to an adjacent copper fuse element, has been developed. The method features forming guard structure openings in an upper level of the copper interconnect structures, in a region adjacent to a copper fuse element. Deposition and patterning of an aluminum layer result in the formation of aluminum guard structures, located in the guard structure openings. The aluminum guard structures protect the copper interconnect structures from the oxidizing and corrosive effects of oxygen, fluorine and water ions, which are generated during a laser write procedure, performed to the adjacent copper fuse element.