We demonstrated that the response time of the resonant-tunneling structures (tau(resp)) can be much smaller as well as much larger than the quasibound-state lifetime. A simple analytical expression for the impedance of the resonant-tunneling diode has been derived, it takes into account the Coulomb interaction and the quasibound-state lifetime. A simple equation relating tau(resp) to the static differential conductance has also been obtained; it allows one to get tau(resp) in the static measurements of the current-voltage curve. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003- 6951(00)01020-2].