Interfacial　delamination　between　molding　compound　(MC)　and　die　pad　interface　is　the　most　crucial　failure　mechanism　of　exposed　pad　package　under　reliability　testing　due　to　high　interfacial　stress　and　weak　adhesion　strength.　A　combined　interfacial　adhesion　characterization,　JEDEC　Moisture　Sensitivity　Level　3　and　3X　IR　reflows　qualification　and　testing,　finite　element　analysis　as　well　as　finite　element　modeling-based　DOE　have　been　developed　for　interfacial　delamination　reliability　in　this　paper.　Firstly,　button　shear　tests　are　conducted　to　measure　interfacial　adhesion　strength　between　MC　and　die　pad　at　room　temperature　25°C,　molding　temperature　175°C　and　reflow　temperature　260°C,　respectively.　Secondly,　QFN　packages　with　bare　copper　die　pad　are　subjected　to　JEDEC-MSL　Level　3　qualification　and　testing　to　study　interfacial　delamination　reliability.　Thirdly,　finite　element　modeling　is　carried　out　to　study　the　interfacial　stresses　at　MC/die　pad　interface　of　QFN　package　at　reflow　temperature　260°C,　failure　criteria　based　on　the　failure　factor　F　for　exposed　pad　packages　are　established.　Then,　DOE　analysis　of　a　5-parameter,　2-levels　matrix　based　on　finite　element　modeling　is　carried　out　to　investigate　the　effect　of　package　design　and　material　property　on　interfacial　delamination　reliability.　Lastly,　reliability　design　guidelines　for　exposed　pad　package　are　brought　forward　to　improve　the　interfacial　reliability.　©　2012　IEEE.