Laser current calibration under id crash stop compression area for blank disk self-servo write

A computer-implemented method of setting an operating current of a laser that is used in heat-assisted magnetic recording, said method comprising:

• moving a magnetic head above a target write region at an inner diameter region of a rotating magnetic recording medium;
• erasing at least a first portion of the target write region;
• selecting a current value for the laser;
• after erasing the first portion of the target write region, writing a test servo pattern on an oscillatory path on the target write region using the magnetic head while irradiating the target write region with the laser operating at the selected current value;
• determining that the test servo pattern meets a quality threshold;
• and
• outputting the selected current value to be the current value to be used during the heat-assisted magnetic recording of servo patterns,
• wherein determining that the test servo pattern meets the quality threshold comprises reading the test servo pattern at multiple locations, wherein each of the multiple locations corresponds to a midline of the oscillatory path.

A disk drive, comprising:

• a magnetic head that includes a laser;
• a rotating magnetic recording medium associated with the magnetic head;
• and
• a controller configured to perform the steps of:
• moving the magnetic head above a target write region at an inner diameter region of the rotating magnetic recording medium;
• erasing at least a first portion of the target write region;
• selecting a current value for the laser;
• after erasing the first portion of the target write region, writing a test servo pattern on an oscillatory path on the target write region using the magnetic head while irradiating the target write region with the laser operating at the selected current value;
• determining that the test servo pattern meets a quality threshold;
• and
• outputting the selected current value to be the current value to be used during the heat-assisted magnetic recording of servo patterns,
• wherein the inner diameter region corresponds to a radial position of the magnetic head during compression of an elastomeric surface of a crash stop by a voice coil housing of a voice coil motor of the disk drive.