A method for making an NMR probe coil (90) comprises:

(a) depositing a conductive film on a substrate;
(b) patterning the film to form a coil having an inductive element and a capacitive element wherein the coil has an expected resonant frequency less than a desired resonant frequency of the coil;
(c) coupling RF power to the coil at or near the expected resonant frequency;
(d) measuring a first observed resonant frequency of the coil;
(e) increasing the RF power to the coil at or near its observed resonant frequency;
(f) observing the coil for a change in the resonant frequency to a new observed resonant frequency;
(g) repeating the increasing the RF power to the coil at or near the observed resonant frequency until a desired power to the coil is reached; and
(h) tuning the coil by removing a portion of the capacitive element.

This provides a method for making a thin-film oxide superconductor NMR probe coil resistant to frequency shifts due to conductor burn out at operating currents.