The nation’s second-biggest laser producer has agreed...

The nation’s second-biggest laser producer has agreed to pay royalties to Patlex Corp. in Chatsworth for continued use of certain laser technology developed by Gordon Gould, Patlex’s vice chairman. Patlex helped finance Gould’s bid to secure the patents and receives 64% of royalties. Patlex said the amount of royalties to be paid by Palo Alto-based Coherent Inc. was not immediately known but that the license pact would be the most lucrative signed to date. Patlex , which hired former astronaut Frank Borman as chairman in June, also is working to sign a similar pact with Spectra-Physics, the biggest U.S. laser manufacturer and a unit of Ciba-Geigy of Switzerland.