Memristor vs. Transistor: Understanding Key Differences

This article explores the differences between memristors and transistors, two fundamental components in modern electronics. Let’s dive in.

Transistor Basics

A transistor is a three-terminal active device that serves as either an amplifier or a switch. There are two main types:

• Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs): These have emitter, base, and collector terminals.
• Field-Effect Transistors (FETs): These have gate, source, and drain terminals.

Transistors are widely used in countless electrical and electronic circuits.

Memristor Basics

A memristor is a two-terminal passive component. It essentially relates electric charge and magnetic flux within an electronic circuit. Applications include:

• Analog circuits
• Digital circuits
• Memory chips
• Neural networks
• Logic circuits

Memristors are typically fabricated using either:

• Molecular & Ionic thin film techniques
• Spin-based methods

Memristor vs. Transistor: A Detailed Comparison

The following table highlights the key differences between memristors and transistors:

Parameters	Memristor	Transistor
Functionality	Composed of memory and resistor functionalities. It can control current and remembers charge flowed through it.	Based on transistor types, it can control current (using BJT type) or voltage (using FET type).
Symbol
Type of device	Passive	Active
State retention	It retains state in the form of resistance.	It retains state in the form of electric charge.
Bias requirement	It does not require a power source to retain data state.	It requires a bias voltage source to retain data state.
Number of terminals	Two	Three (Source, Gate, and Drain)
Scalability	It is scalable by reducing the thickness of memristor materials.	It is scalable by reducing lateral length and width dimensions between the input and output electrodes.
Capability	It is capable of performing analog or digital electronic functionalities based on materials used.	It is capable of performing analog or digital electronic functionalities based on applied bias voltages.
Fabrication	Fabricated using optical lithography, with alternative mass production techniques implemented.	Fabricated using optical lithography.
Switching speed	nsec range	µs range