  Multiple beyond-CMOS information processing devices are presently under
active research and require methods of benchmarking them. A new approach for
calculating the performance metric, energy-delay product, of such devices is
proposed. The approach involves estimating the device properties of resistance
and switching charge, rather than dynamic evolution characteristics, such as
switching energy and time. Application of this approach to a wide class of
charge-based and non-charge based devices is discussed. The approach suggests
pathways for improving the performance of beyond-CMOS devices and a new
realistic limit for energy-delay product in terms of the Planks constant.
