You simply can't low level format a SCSI disk. Never. There's simply no command for it.
What you all probably mean is zeroing the drive, i.e. writing all 0s or 1s to all blocks. While doing this the drive remaps bad blocks, so it can sometimes cure read errors.
In ancient times you could kill an IDE drive by trying to llf, but many years ago they learned to tolerate it.
Drives with linear actuators require servo information to keep the heads on track - but there's no way a drive could actually rewrite them on its on behalf, it must be done in the factory.
