SnO2 nanotwists on thin film and SnO2 short nanowires on nanorods have been grown on single silicon substrates by using Au-Ag alloying catalyst assisted carbothermal evaporation of SnO2 and active carbon powders. The morphology and the structure of the prepared nanostructures are determined on the basis of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electronic diffraction (SAED), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectra analysis. The new peaks at 356, 450, and 489 nm in the measured PL spectra of two kinds of SnO2 nanostructures are observed, implying that more luminescence centres exist in these SnO2 nanostructures due to nanocrystals and defects. The growth mechanism of these nanostructures belongs to the vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism.