A method of automatically correcting aberrations in a charged-particle beam, comprising the steps of: providing an optimally focused image, an underfocussed image and an overfocussed image of a probe; extracting a probe profile of the underfocussed image from the Fourier transform of the underfocussed image and the Fourier transform of the optimally focused image; extracting a probe profile of the overfocussed image from the Fourier transform of the overfocussed image and the Fourier transform of the optimally focused image; extracting line profiles (F, G) from the probe profiles (D, E) of the charged-particle beam when it has been underfocussed and overfocussed; calculating amounts of features μ, σ, and ρ (μ u,k, σ u,k, ρ u,k, μ o,k, σ o,k, ρ o,k) from the extracted line profiles when the charged-particle beam has been underfocussed and overfocussed, the μ, σ, and ρ indicating features of the line profiles, i.e., left-and-right asymmetry, width, and unevenness around the center; calculating amounts of aberrations (C 0 to C 11) in the charged-particle beam from the amounts of features μ, σ and ρ (μ u,k, σ u,k, ρ u,k, μ o,k, σ o,k, ρ o,k); characterised in that the method further comprises: making a decision as to whether a total amount of aberration in the charged-particle beam calculated based on the amounts of aberrations is less than a given threshold value; specifying at least one of the amounts of aberrations, calculating an amount of feedback for reducing the specified amount of aberration, and correcting the aberrations in the charged-particle beam based on the amount of feedback when the total amount of aberration has been judged to be greater than the threshold value by the step of making a decision; and calculating the amount of feedback using fields which make a feedback gain matrix a diagonal matrix, the feedback gain matrix indicating relations between the amount of feedback and the amounts of aberrations. providing an optimally focused image, an underfocussed image and an overfocussed image of a probe; extracting a probe profile of the underfocussed image from the Fourier transform of the underfocussed image and the Fourier transform of the optimally focused image; extracting a probe profile of the overfocussed image from the Fourier transform of the overfocussed image and the Fourier transform of the optimally focused image; extracting line profiles (F, G) from the probe profiles (D, E) of the charged-particle beam when it has been underfocussed and overfocussed; calculating amounts of features μ, σ, and ρ (μ u,k, σ u,k, ρ u,k, μ o,k, σ o,k, ρ o,k) from the extracted line profiles when the charged-particle beam has been underfocussed and overfocussed, the μ, σ, and ρ indicating features of the line profiles, i.e., left-and-right asymmetry, width, and unevenness around the center; calculating amounts of aberrations (C 0 to C 11) in the charged-particle beam from the amounts of features μ, σ and ρ (μ u,k, σ u,k, ρ u,k, μ o,k, σ o,k, ρ o,k); characterised in that the method further comprises: making a decision as to whether a total amount of aberration in the charged-particle beam calculated based on the amounts of aberrations is less than a given threshold value; specifying at least one of the amounts of aberrations, calculating an amount of feedback for reducing the specified amount of aberration, and correcting the aberrations in the charged-particle beam based on the amount of feedback when the total amount of aberration has been judged to be greater than the threshold value by the step of making a decision; and calculating the amount of feedback using fields which make a feedback gain matrix a diagonal matrix, the feedback gain matrix indicating relations between the amount of feedback and the amounts of aberrations. making a decision as to whether a total amount of aberration in the charged-particle beam calculated based on the amounts of aberrations is less than a given threshold value; specifying at least one of the amounts of aberrations, calculating an amount of feedback for reducing the specified amount of aberration, and correcting the aberrations in the charged-particle beam based on the amount of feedback when the total amount of aberration has been judged to be greater than the threshold value by the step of making a decision; and calculating the amount of feedback using fields which make a feedback gain matrix a diagonal matrix, the feedback gain matrix indicating relations between the amount of feedback and the amounts of aberrations.