Inspection of microelectronic devices is described using near infrared light. In one example, a dielectric material layer on a substrate is illuminated with a near infrared light beam. The substrate has at least one contact land, the dielectric material layer overlies at least a portion of the contact land, and the substrate has at least one via defined in the dielectric material layer, the via exposing at least a portion of the contact land. Reflected near infrared light is reflected from the substrate at a camera. The position of the via is determined relative to the contact land from the reflected light beam using an image processing device.