The transient switching delay in a micro/nano-scale circuit containing resistive and reactive elements are sternly affected by the surge in the resistance arising from sub-linear current-voltage (I-V) characteristics limited by the velocity and current saturation. The saturation arises due to the realignment of randomly oriented velocity vectors to the unidirectional streamlined ones in a high electric field when voltage applied across a resistor exceeds its decreasing critical value with reduced channel length. The frequency response f=1/27 pi tau(iota) is affected by a transit time delay tau(iota) is lower than that predicted from the application of Ohm's law. The resistance surge dramatically boosts the RC time constant and switching delay and attenuates the L/R time constant and switching delay. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.