The invention provides highly sensitive NMR probes for spectroscopy and microscopy. Thin-film superconducting coils on planar substrates are inductively coupled to form an RF transmitter/receiver. Two embodiments are illustrated. The first, which is particularly suited to liquid samples, uses two coils are positioned on opposite sides of a sample, with their long axis parallel to the axis of the sample. The coils are sized and positioned to maximize SNR, field homogeneity or field strength. In the second embodiment, circular coils are deposited on a substrate having a central aperture. Several coils in a solenoidal configuration are positioned orthogonal to and surrounding the sample.